


Kaleidoscope

by enigmaticblue



Category: Eureka
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-06
Updated: 2010-08-06
Packaged: 2017-10-10 23:24:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105568
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enigmaticblue/pseuds/enigmaticblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grace kept trying to decipher the pattern, but the pieces shifted constantly, painting a different picture each time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Kaleidoscope

**Author's Note:**

> Written for week four of the LJ community, eureka_tag, for 4.04, "The Story of O2."

Grace hadn’t been surprised when Henry turned down her offer to accompany him to the neurobotic prosthetics conference, although she had been disappointed. She had thought that getting out of town could be exactly what they needed, that it would do the both of them good to get out of Eureka for a few days.

 

But when Henry turned down her offer, Grace had consoled herself with the reasoning that maybe her husband needed a little space. They had each traveled separately before during their marriage, and the old adage had always proven to be true: absence really did make the heart grow fonder.

 

She couldn’t help the feeling of trepidation as she arrived home, however. Henry had been _so_ different, ever since Founder’s Day, and while Grace was good at sorting through conflicting information to form a cohesive hypothesis, the picture wouldn’t coalesce. Grace kept trying to decipher the pattern, but the pieces shifted constantly, painting a different picture each time.

 

It was a little like living inside a kaleidoscope.

 

“Henry?” She had called from the airport to let him know she was on her way home, but she’d had to leave a message.

 

There was no reply, and she bit back a sigh, remembering the days when he’d be home waiting for her after one of her trips, greeting her with a smile and an enthusiastic kiss.

 

Grace had begun to unpack when she heard Henry’s voice. “Grace?”

 

“In the bedroom,” she called, trying not to think about the fact that they hadn’t actually shared a bed for two weeks now. Henry had always been a bit of a night owl, often getting caught up on whatever he was working on, but he’d always come to bed to sleep.

 

Henry paused in the doorway of their bedroom. “How was the conference?”

 

The question, and the tone, were so polite, so unlike her Henry, that Grace felt her heart catch. She had promised him time and support, but right now she wished she had some idea of what was going on. “It was good.” She turned to look at him, pasting on a bright smile. “And how was space week?”

 

“We had a few mishaps, but it wouldn’t be Eureka if we didn’t,” he replied. Henry held up a Café Diem box. “I, uh, grabbed some dinner for us if you’re hungry.”

 

Grace felt a little of the tension leave her at that. Small gestures like that were what had endeared Henry to her in the beginning. “That would be great.”

 

She approached him for a kiss, wishing it could be more than perfunctory, and pressed her lips to his.

 

Henry put his free hand on her shoulder. “Hey.” He stopped, clearly struggling for his words. “Thank you.”

 

“For what?” she asked.

 

“For being patient with me.” And this time, he leaned in for a deeper kiss, and Grace’s lips opened. Henry’s touch was tentative, holding none of the confidence that years of marriage brought, and for some reason, it reminded Grace of the first time he’d kissed her.

 

Henry felt like a different person, and that was another piece of the puzzle.

 

When he pulled back, he looked at her as he had after their first date, their first kiss—with the same wonder he afforded a new discovery.

 

He smiled and his hand brushed her cheek. “We should eat before it gets cold.”

 

Grace nodded and took a deep breath. She was good at making sense out of things; eventually, she’d understand the pattern, even if it escaped her at present.


End file.
